OSU, Elliott running to national title game

NEW ORLEANS — Ezekiel Elliott sprinted down the field, nothing between him and the end zone. Cardale Jones was right on his heels, eager to join the celebration.

Next stop for Alton native Elliott and his Ohio State Buckeyes, the national championship game.

Elliott shredded the fearsome Alabama defense and Jones again proved to be a worthy replacement at quarterback, leading Ohio State to a stunning 42-35 victory over the top-ranked Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Sugar Bowl on Thursday night.

The Buckeyes (13-1) advanced to face Oregon in the Jan. 12 title game at Arlington, Texas.

Without the new playoff, they never would’ve had a chance.

“Obviously, we’re really thankful for the playoff system,” said Elliott, knowing the fourth seed would’ve been shut out under the old BCS system that only rewarded the two highest-ranked teams. “They gave us a chance to go out there and show that we’re one of the better teams in the nation and we deserve to be in the national championship.”

Elliott was born in Alton and attended elementary school there for two years before enrolling in a private St. Louis school. He attended John Burroughs Prep, a private St. louis High school, leading the Bombers to the Missouri state championship game three times.

Elliott’s father, Stacy, played football at the University of Missouri. His mother, Dawn, ran track at Mizzou. Dawn’s father is Leon Huff, a standout basketball player at Alton High in the late 1960s.

“I went to Alton elementary schools for a couple of years,” said Elliott, who lived on Brown Street in Alton.

At John Burroughs, Elliott running back accounted for 3,061 all-purpose yards and scored 50 touchdowns. He rushed for 2,155 yards, averaging 10.6 yards per carry, and 40 rushing TDs. He added 383 yards receiving and four touchdowns on 16 receptions. He also had 523 yards and another six scores on returns.

In the Sugar Bowl Thursday, Ohio State rallied from an early 21-6 deficit, scoring 28 straight points against the Crimson Tide (12-2). Then, with the Buckeyes clinging to a 34-28 lead, Elliott came up with the play that essentially sealed the victory with 3 1/2 minutes remaining.

Right after Jones twisted for a 1-yard gain on third down to keep the possession alive, Elliott took a handoff around the left side, broke one feeble swipe at his ankles, and kept right on running for an 85-yard touchdown.

Jones wasn’t too far behind, jumping on his teammate’s back after they got to the end zone.

Oregon advanced to the title game with a 59-20 rout of defending national champion Florida State in the other semifinal at the Rose Bowl. The Ducks’ performance was impressive, indeed, but Ohio State coach Urban Meyer likes his team’s chances after taking down a team seeking its fourth national title in six years.

“We’re good enough,” Meyer said. “That was a classic.”

Before the game, Alabama defensive end Jonathan Allen compared the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Jones to a linebacker and said his size could create “a matchup problem.” Indeed it did. Though three sacks limited Jones’ net yards rushing to 43 yards, he had several first-down scrambles including a 27-yard gain. Throw in 243 yards passing and it was another solid performance for a quarterback making only his second career start.

The Crimson Tide simply wasn’t as dominant defensively as it had been in recent seasons, and not even a couple extra weeks to prepare for the Sugar Bowl could cover up deficiencies exposed in several games this season. The Tide allowed Ohio State to rack up 537 total yards. And this time it wasn’t just the secondary that got gashed. Alabama’s run defense, which came in ranked second nationally at 88.6 yards per game, allowed a season-high 281 on the ground.

Ohio State will be facing Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota and the high-scoring Oregon offense, but the Buckeyes already proved they can limit one of the nation’s best players. Alabama receiver Amari Cooper, a Heisman finalist who came in with 115 catches and a nation-leading 1,656 yards, was held to 71 yards on nine catches. He did have a 15-yard touchdown, but the yards receiving were his third-lowest of the season.